PATTERN HOLDS: In a matchup of two of college football's worst road teams in recent years, it was natural for the home team to have its way and the visitors to commit mistakes. Rice's Paul Porras, left, tips the ball as Memphis' Taylor Reed prepares to throw, leading to an interception in the Owls' 28-6 victory that dropped the Tigers to 0-15 on the road over the last three seasons.

Photo: Nick De La Torre

PATTERN HOLDS: In a matchup of two of college football's worst road...

Early in the third quarter of its Conference USA opener, Rice threatened to take an 11-point lead on the road against Southern Miss.

Instead, the Owls fumbled the ball, and Southern Miss drove down the field en route to the final 28 points in a 48-24 victory.

For the Owls, it was a blown opportunity for a rare road win - and another step toward a coveted bowl appearance- at one of the toughest venues in C-USA.

"When the crowd turns against you, that's when it gets tough," Rice coach David Bailiff said. "That's why on the road you want to play (well) early and try and get them out of it. We haven't done a good job doing that."

More Information

THEY DON'T TRAVEL WELL

Football Bowl Subdivision teams with the worst road records since the 2009 season:

Team Conference Road record

Akron Mid-American 0-15

Memphis Conference USA 0-15

Colorado Big 12/Pac-12 0-14

New Mexico Mountain West 0-13

San Jose State Western Athletic 1-16

UNLV Mountain West 1-14

Rice Conference USA 1-13

Kansas Big 12 1-10

The Owls are 1-13 on the road since the start of the 2009 season, the seventh-worst record during that stretch among Football Bowl Subdivision schools. The only win was a 33-32 victory over North Texas in Week 2 last season.

Beginning with Saturday's game against Marshall in Huntington, W. Va., Rice (2-3) plays four of its final seven games on the road.

"We have to get that confidence that we can go into other people's house and continue to execute like we seem to at home," wide receiver Vance McDonald said.

2-0 at home

The Owls have won both games at Rice Stadium this season and five straight at home overall. So it was no surprise that Bailiff began his weekly news conference with a nod to the Owls' recent home winning streak.

"There's no place like home," he said.

The opening road schedule has been tough for the Owls, with games against current ranked teams Texas and Baylor and C-USA East heavyweight Southern Miss. The average margin of defeat on the road during the past two-plus seasons: 26.4 points.

"Whether home or on the road, they're all equal value," Bailiff said. "But when you go on the road, you've got to have a mindset, because you know you're going to get their absolute best. You have to survive that first storm and draw a line in the sand and get it going the other way."

Until the Owls begin winning on the road, reaching the six wins necessary for bowl eligibility will be elusive. In the nine previous years the Owls went to a bowl, they had a winning or .500 record on the road.

"You see all the teams that go to bowl games - they win on the road," linebacker Justin Allen said. "It's unfortunate we don't have six home games to win, but we've got to take advantage when we can. We've had some tough road games already this year."

7-5 split

As the only team in the nation with four non-conference games against schools from Bowl Championship Series conferences, the Owls said an additional premium is placed on winning in conference play. The Owls also don't have the luxury of an even home-road split of the 12-game regular-season schedule; seven of their games are on the road.

Besides Marshall (2-4), remaining road foes for the Owls include Houston (6-0), Northwestern (2-3) and SMU (4-1). Meanwhile, the final three home opponents - Tulsa, Tulane and UTEP - have losing records.

"We just need to carry over the momentum we have at home and knock out these four road games we have left," safety Tanner Leland said.